Two Tropical Cyclone Names Retired from List of Atlantic Storms

March 16, 2011

Hurricane Igor as it strikes Newfoundland on September 21.High Resolution (Credit: NOAA)

Two tropical cyclone names in the Atlantic were retired from the official name rotation by the World Meteorological Organization’s hurricane committee because of the deaths and damage they caused in 2010. The committee issues the list of potential names for tropical cyclones to be used every six years for both the Atlantic and eastern North Pacific basins.

The names Igor and Tomas in the Atlantic would have appeared again in 2016 but will no longer be used. In their places will be Ian and Tobias.

Details of the retired 2010 named storms are shown below:

Igor was a classic Cape Verde hurricane, reaching Category 4 strength with 155 mph winds on Sept. 14, while located about 600 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands. The storm weakened to a Category 1 hurricane when it struck Bermuda on Sept. 19. Igor grew in size, with the area of tropical-storm-force winds becoming roughly 750 nautical miles wide. Igor made landfall on Sept. 21 near Cape Race, Newfoundland. It was the most damaging hurricane on that island in 75 years. Igor killed three people along its path. Damage in Newfoundland is placed at almost $200 million U.S. dollars.

Hurricane Tomas moves between Haiti and Cuba on November 5.High Resolution (Credit: NOAA)

Tomas became a hurricane on October 30 shortly after striking Barbados. It strengthened to a Category 2 storm striking St. Vincent and St. Lucia, becoming the latest hurricane on record (1851-present) to strike the Windward Islands. After weakening to a tropical depression over the central Caribbean Sea, Tomas regained Category 1 strength on November 5 and moved between Jamaica and the southwest peninsula of Haiti, through the Windward Passage. It weakened just below hurricane strength before reaching the Turks and Caicos Islands. Fourteen people are confirmed as dead, or missing, on St. Lucia. Total damage there is estimated to be around $500 million U.S. dollars. Heavy rains associated with Tomas triggered floods and landslides in Haiti. Haiti’s meteorological services states that the death toll in Haiti was 35.

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